Dublin City councillors have sought to protect an iconic tree in north Dublin whose bite is worse than its bark.

The "hungry tree", a London Plane which is slowly growing into an iron bench in Kings Inns in Dublin 7, is believed to date from the 1930s and is listed as one of Ireland’s Heritage Trees by the Tree Council of Ireland.

Given its history, members of the council’s Central Area Committee recently passed a motion which seeks for the protection of both the tree and the bench, The Irish Times reports.

The same source quotes Green Party councillor Ciaran Cuffe, who proposed the motion and called for a Tree Preservation Order for the tree.

He said: “[The trees] are a lovely part of the history of the north inner city. A bit like the Blessington Basin, it is a hidden gem. I love it and I’d hate to lose it...

“They have witnessed history and they are all the more precious for their age."

As well as being a well-known landmark, the tree also appeared in artist Robert Ballagh's 1981 book 'Dublin'.